John Bates

John N. Bates passed away September 15, 2015, at the age of 79, surrounded by family. He was born in Lansing, Michigan on March 6, 1936, the son of Willard and Mildred (Keyes) Bates. He married Sharon Lancour on September 3, 1960 in Trenary, Michigan. John worked for 30 years as a carpenter for the Lansing School District.

John is survived by his wife, Sharon; sons, Timothy (Jennifer) of Winston-Salem, NC and Thomas (Cynthia) of St. Johns; grandchildren Tim, Jr, Ryan, Mike and Dan Bates, Chris and Whitney Wilson, Tyler and Lauren Bates; sister, Lynne Parks; brothers, Jerry, Kevin (Lily) and Randy Bates; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Kim Bates.

A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 pm on Friday, September 18 at Maple Rapids United Methodist Church, 330 South Maple Street, Maple Rapids, MI. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. The family would like to express a very special thank you to all of the caring staff at The Laurels of Fulton. They went above and beyond what was expected and treated John like family. Those planning on an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorial contributions to The Laurels of Fulton, 4735 Ranger Road, Perrinton, MI 48871.

The family is being served by the Osgood Funeral Homes.